Gasell Adventure GC132 vs Roam Adventure Co The Desperado
The Gasell Adventure GC132 and the Roam Adventure Co The Desperado are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Gasell Adventure and Roam Adventure Co take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The GC132 is 6.599999999999994 kg lighter at 75 kg against 81.6 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Setup is not close. The The Desperado opens as a clamshell in 30 seconds; the GC132 takes 1 minutes. Over a trip with a new campsite every night, that gap compounds. List prices are within $86 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
The GC132 uses aluminum; the The Desperado uses aluminium extrusion with honeycomb panels. Canvas differs too: poly-cotton, 280 g/m2, PU-coated, 3000 mm waterproof rating against 420D polyester Oxford. Closed, the GC132 sits 7 cm lower on the roof — 18 cm against 25 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Gasell Adventure
GC132
The GC132 is Gasell Adventure's aluminium hard-shell clamshell tent, opening to a 165 cm interior peak on a 210 x 132 cm footprint. Gasell lists a 75 kg weight, a 350 kg roof load, a 50 mm high-density memory-foam mattress (200 x 122 cm), poly-cotton fabric (280 g/m2, 3000 mm) and a setup time of under a minute, with room for two adults and one small child. The product-page URL references 'GC138' while the product heading and specifications identify the model as the GC132.
- Aluminium hard shell opening to a tall 165 cm clamshell interior on a 210 x 132 cm footprint
- Manufacturer states a setup time of under a minute
- Includes a 50 mm high-density memory-foam mattress and LED lighting
- Rated for two adults and one child on a narrower 122 cm mattress than the GM and GA models
Roam Adventure Co
The Desperado
Roam's aluminium-honeycomb hardshell for two, opening in about 30 seconds; the maker does not publish its deployed footprint.
- ~30 s hardshell setup
- Aluminium honeycomb construction
- 2-year warranty
- Open dimensions not published
Which one to pick
Take the The Desperado if you move camp most days. Take the GC132 if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Clamshell | Clamshell |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $3,110— best of the tents compared | $3,199— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 165 lb— best of the tents compared | 180 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 6 ft 11 in | 6 ft 11 in |
| Packed width | 4 ft 4 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 7.1 in— best of the tents compared | 9.8 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 7 in | — |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft | — |
| Floor area | 26.3 sq ft | — |
| Interior height | 5 ft 5 in | — |
| Mattress thickness | 2 in— worst of the tents compared | 2.8 in— best of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 60 sec— worst of the tents compared | 30 sec— best of the tents compared |
| Shell material | Aluminum | Aluminium extrusion with honeycomb panels |
| Fabric | Poly-cotton, 280 g/m2, PU-coated, 3000 mm waterproof rating | 420D polyester Oxford |
| Warranty | 2years | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Gasell Adventure product page | Roam Adventure Co product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Gasell Adventure GC132 and the Roam Adventure Co The Desperado.